Music-leaf turner.



P. G. LINDSAY.

MUSIG LEAF TURNFRa APPLICATION rum) 223.23, 1910.

978,043. Patented Dec.6,1910.

I: PITIRS c0, vusmncrcu, n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT oEEioE.

FRANKLIN G. LINDSAY, OF SCOTTDALE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRDTO ISAAC F. OVERHOLT AND ONE-THIRD T -WILLIAM F. MORRISON, BOTH OF MOUNTPLEASANT, PENNSYLVANIA.

MUSIC-LEAF TURNER.

Application filed February 23, 1910.

Specification of Letters Patent.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FRANKLIN G. LIND- SAY, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Scottdale, in the county of \Vestmoreland and Stateof Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inMusic-Leaf Turners of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to supports for sheet music, and especially thattype of such devices which are adapted to facilitate the turning of themusic with the least expenditure of labor and time during the renditionof the selection.

The invention consists of certain specific novel features ofconstruction hereinafter fully described and claimed and illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a front elevation of thedevice; Fig. 2 is a top plan of the same, certain parts being inslightly different positions from those indicated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is ahorizontal sectional detail substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;Fig. 4 is a transverse detail taken substantially on the line 4e-4 ofFig. 5, and Fig. 5 is a vertical tion on the line 55 of Fig. 4:.

'lhroughout the following description. and on the several figures of thedrawings similar parts are referred to by like reference characters.

At is indicated a main frame, which may be of any desired size orconfigurationand which may be made of any suitable material consistentwith the purposes in view. Said frame is designed primarily to restloosely upon the usual music ledge of a piano or a similar musicalinstrument and to slightly incline against the front panel. thereof. Itis to be understood however in this connection that the frame mayconstitute the main portion of an ordinary music rack or that it may beso arranged as to rest upon any other form of music support now in use.As herein illustrated the frame includes a forwardly extending ledge 11upon which the stationary portions of leaves of the music may rest in amanner quite similar to the usual ledge or support of a piano. Any leafor leaves of the music intended not to be turned may if desired besecured in place by means of spring clips 12 connected to the frame. Theframe preferably is made large enough to receive sheet music of themaximum size and of course will then accommodate sheets of small size asWell.

A vertical rock shaft 13 is mounted substantially central of the frameand journalod in the upper and lower bars 10 and 10 of the frame.Mounted upon the upper end of the rock shaft are a pair of leafsupports. One of said supports includes an arm 14: adjustably connectedto the upper end of the shaft by means of a clamp 15 and carryingadjustably near its outer end a snap 16. The snap is connected to aslotted arm 16 which is adjustable vertically with respect to the arm 14by means of a set screw 17, while the slotted arm is adjustable alongthe arm 14 by means of a clamp 18 to which the set screw 17 isconnected. The other music support consists of a short arm 19 having atits outer end a spring snap 20 and connected at its inner end to therock shaft 13 in a peculiar manner as will be hereinafter fullydescribed. A spool 21 is secured to the rock shaft 13 at any desiredelevation by means of a set screw 21 which is seated below the surfaceof the spool. The arm 19 is split and is clamped around the surface ofthe spool 21 frictionally by means of a screw 19. hen the desiredposition has been determined for the arm 19 the spool will be securelyclamped to the rock shaft so as to always turn therewith, but thefrictional grip of the arm 19 upon the spool by virtue of the screw 19will be such that the spool may turn independently of said arm undercertain conditions.

Any suitable mechanism may be employed for rotating the rock shaft 13and the leaf supporting devices carried thereby. As shown however thesaid rock shaft is provided near its lower end with a small pinion 22with which meshes an arc-shaped rack 23 rigidly connected to a lever 24,said rack and lever being pivoted at 2st upon a bracket- 25 carried bythe main frame. The lever 2 1 is of the first class and is adapted to bepushed by the thumb or finger of the performer applied to either endthereof and when swung in this way upon the pivot 2d the rack 23 willrotate the shaft 13 through approximately 180, swinging the arm 14 fromone side of the frame to the other, and when thus swung the parts willremain stationary until the lever 24 is operated in a reverse directionby application of the thumb or finger to its other end.

The operation of the device is substantially as follows: A. sheet ofmusic to be turned is fastened to the snaps 1G and 20, the inner edge ofthe sheet coinciding substantially with the central line of the frame.The sheet thus connected to the movable parts will ordinarily be at theright side of the frame at the beginning of the performance and the leftend of the lever 21 will be substantially against the frame. llponpressing the right end of the lever 2-1 the music will. be swung overupon the left side of the frame, such movement requiring a very slightpressure upon the lever and yet" being accomplished quickly and withoutany danger of disturbing the music. From the location of the rock shaft13 with respect to the frame it will be observed that the short arm 19will swing through a shorter arc than will the arm l t and its snap 16.The arm 19 or its snap 20 is intended to strike against the upper bar 10of the frame or a plate 10 thereon shortly before the arm 1% completesits movement. The primary purpose for this construction is for the arm19 and its peculiar frictional coir nection with the rock shaft 13 toconstitute a buffer or checking means to check the impact of the sheetof music and the heavier and longer arm l-l against the frame or theinstrument upon which the frame is resting. As noted in Fig. 2 the armll is presumed to be swinging in the direction indicated by the arrowand the arm 19 has practically reached the end of its throw and is aboutto strike the plate 10. The degree of friction between the arm 19 andthe spool 21 will of course be determined in accordance with thepersonality of the performer and will be varied according to the amountof force employed in operating the lever 2t. A further advantage of thepeculiar relationship between the music holders 14 and 19 and the meansfor swinging them is that, as above set forth, the support 19 carrieswith it the inner edge of the sheet in a plane in advance of the planeof the longer support 11-, whereby less resistance to the air is set upagainst the sheet of music tending to cause it to bag.

The entire device is intended to be constructed of such materials orcolors as will harmonize with the instrument upon which it is to beused. The rear and lower portions of the frame which are likely to comeinto contact with the polished surface of the piano should be providedwith strips of baize or felt 2G to prevent marring of the piano.

I claim 1. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of amain frame, an upright rock shaft journaled therein, music holdersadjustably connected to the upper end of said rock shaft for the supportof a single sheet of music, means to rotate the rock shaft to swing themusic, one of said holders being shorter than the other and movable in aplane in advance of the longer holder, and means associated with theshorter holder to control the swinging movement thereof.

2. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of astationary frame, a rock shaft journaled in the upper and lower portionsthereof, an arm clamped to the upper end of said rock shaft, a musicholding snap adjustable vertically and longitudinally along said arm,another arm connected to the rock shaft, a second music holding snapconnected to the latter arm, the latter arm being movably held on therock shaft by friction and controlled in its relation to the shaftbyengagement with said frame, and means to rotate the rock shaft.

3. In a device of the character set forth, the combination of a framehaving upper and lower horizontal bars, a rock shaft journaled in saidbars, means connected to the lower bar for rotating said rock shaft, aspool clamped to the rock shaft above the upper bar, an arm frictionallyconnected to said spool and adapted to impinge against the said upperbar, and a second arm connected to the rock shaft and adapted to swingtherewith through a greater angle than the first mentioned arm, both ofsaid arms cooperating to support a single music sheet.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

FRANKLIN G. LINDSAY.

\Vitnesses Gr. L. BEELER, HUGH M. STERLING.

